New era of fully connected travel and the end of airline tickets - Amadeus and Finnair delivered the world’s first airline native orders
Industry transformation means travelers will soon be able to buy services covering their entire journey, combining multiple trips, routes, airlines, hotels, destination activities and even include additional passengers in a single order
Travelers to digitally manage every aspect of their trip - easily adding or removing services in a few clicks
Single order to replace airline tickets and booking records
The airline industry’s transition towards modern retailing is moving forward as airlines start to adopt the industry-wide technology transformation from traditional booking methods like Passenger Name Records (PNRs) to ‘Offers and Orders’. The first major milestone in this industry-wide transformation was reached at the beginning of May, when Finland’s national carrier, Finnair, was the first airline globally to create a native order.
This milestone signifies that, in the future, travelers will be able to buy and manage services covering an entire trip from an airline website using a ‘single order’ which will make planning, booking, managing and experiencing travel far simpler.
An ‘order’ acts as a single record of any travel service the passenger has purchased across their entire journey and replaces traditional industry standards like Passenger Name Records, Electronic Flight Tickets and Electronic Miscellaneous Documents which tend to be created for each travel service the customer books. Following this technological transition to orders, travel companies involved in delivering a trip (e.g. airline, car rental, hotel, destination experience) will be able to easily refer to and update the order, providing a clear view of the traveler’s entire journey experience for the first time.
Book and manage an entire trip on one website
The goal of this transition is that rather than visiting multiple websites, making separate purchases and payments, customers can buy a variety of services (e.g. flights, flight ancillaries, transfers, hotels, destination experiences) directly from an airline’s website, all stored and managed in one single order. This brings the shopping basket concept to the airline industry, making it easier to add or remove services and plan travel.
With all elements of a trip linked together through one digital record, travel companies will be able to collaborate more easily to provide a better experience, overcoming many of the frustrations faced by travelers today.
Make detailed travel arrangements with friends
It will be possible to add multiple trips, on different routes, with different airlines, for different passengers, to the same single order. Multiple payment methods can be associated to an order, allowing friends and family to split the bill. This innovation will make it far easier for groups to plan complex trips like a wedding or a birthday, where guests arrive from different locations.
Modifications can be made throughout the journey. If you board the plane and notice your middle aisle economy seat doesn’t look as appealing as the empty window in premium economy, you can upgrade there and then from your mobile. If you’re in your hotel room and receive a discount to see your favorite football team that evening, you can easily add tickets to your order. Just purchase them through your airline’s app and your order will be updated to include them.
Fully connected trip will allow pro-active travel rearrangements
As the airline retail transformation gathers pace over the next few years, all providers delivering your trip will be linked through the same digital record. This means that in case of disruption, if an airline needs to re-accommodate you on a new flight, it can automatically let your taxi company know to re-schedule your transfer, and your hotel to revise your stay. These new taxi and hotel options are presented to you with a simple ‘yes / no’ confirmation option on your mobile and your order is updated, ensuring all travel companies understand your new arrangements.
Boarding passes and confirmation emails replaced by single ‘journey pass’
Rather than carrying multiple paper and digital documents, travelers will rely on a dynamic ‘journey pass’ that replaces boarding passes and confirmation emails. With the journey pass, the traveler and what they’ve ordered will be easily understood in an instant, as they progress through the journey e.g. airport, car rental or the hotel front desk.
With the option to link this information to a chosen identifier (e.g. biometrics or a passport), it will no longer be necessary to continually provide proof of who you are and documentation of what you have ordered.
"The introduction of a single order in line with IATA’s new concepts and data models is revolutionary for travel, and Finnair should be commended as the first airline to go live with native order creation.”
“For the first time on an airline’s website, the traveler’s entire trip is stored in one record we like to think of as a personal ‘travel folder’, connecting what were previously separate services. It’s this connection that allows the industry to cooperate more closely. Now, airlines will be able to look after the traveler across their entire journey."
Cyril Tetaz EVP Airline Solutions, Amadeus
Finnair, Finland’s national carrier and the launch customers for Amadeus Nevio, was in May the first airline globally to a create a native order. Having invested in direct channels and NDC (New Distribution Capability) over the years, Finnair aspires to transition to modern digital distribution, enabling customers to choose relevant services for their travel according to their needs and preferences.
“Creating the first native airline order was a significant milestone for Finnair and by introducing offers and orders, we are setting the foundation for the future of airline retailing. With these technological developments, we aim to make our customers’ journeys with us even smoother and fully connected. This is only the first step, but a major one, and I look forward to what the future will bring.”
Tiina Vesterinen VP Digital Customer and Revenue, Finnair
Amadeus Nevio is a new generation of technology which can support any airline to adopt new industry standards for offers and orders, irrespective of its current technological environment. Air France – KLM, British Airways, Finnair and Saudia have all selected Amadeus Nevio to provide the benefits of single orders to their passengers.
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